The Tape Day 3
by Benjamin Gainsborough
Summary: This is my first fiction for The Ring. If all goes well, I'll continue writing! When I wrote it, I didn't tun spell check. I was unaware it had errors! : Re submitted and fixed chapters..
1. Default Chapter

Day 3..

I talked to Marc. We met up at Starbucks. We bought our coffee, I bought 2 muffins for later, picked a seat closest to the window, and talked about things that have happened between the days we hadn't seen each other. He seemed kind of odd. He stuttered as he spoke and looked around nervously. After a little while, he handed me a tape. I thought it was strange that it had no label. He didn't tell me what was on the tape but said that there was something interesting on it, and that I should watch it as soon as I got home and should call him and tell him what I thought. I gave it a thought, hesitated, and then took it. I put it in my bag with my muffins. I swear the look he had on his face. He was pale. After I took it, he got up and said that he needed to run some important errands. We stood up, and said our goodbyes. The last thing he said was that today was his 7th day. He then hurried off. I wondered what he meant when he said it was his 7th day. I didn't give it another thought...

I came home and to my surprise, no one was home. I threw my bag onto the couch, went into the kitchen and got myself something to drink. I went into the living room. The bag had spilled my contents. The 2 muffins were on the floor. The tape was lying on the couch. I looked at it. I slowly walked over to it, picked it up and examined it as I walked over to the TV and VCR. For some reason I felt like something was wrong. What could be possibly wrong? I turned on the TV, changed the channel to channel 3, and inserted the tape into the VCR. I hit play. I stepped back from the TV. Static..It was over. What were those images? What was that white circle? Who was that other person in the mirror with the long hair over her face? Was that woman looking at me through the screen? What was that tape about? Then the phone rang. I was still staring into the screen thinking about what I just seen. I tore eyes from the screen and ran into the kitchen. I picked up the phone and said "hello". ..."7 days." I stood there in the kitchen. Wondering whom it was. It sounded like a little girl. I don't know any little girls. Then I thought about what Marc had said at Starbucks. Today was his 7th day. Was this connected with him? I didn't call him back. I was feeling very strange.. That was 2 days ago.. I went out this morning. Went to meet Marc at Starbucks again. I walked under a ladder that rested on a building without any thought about it. As soon as I was out from under, this image flashed into my head. One I had seen on the tape. A ladder that rested on the side of a building. Coincidence? I got to Starbucks, got my usual coffee minus the muffins and had a seat with Marc. He was happy again. He asked if I could take his picture. I did. Looked at the display. It came out alright. He then took mine as well. He looked down onto the camera display. Then handed it to me. I asked if he took it right. He said he did. I didn't know what to say. My face was all blurred. I asked him to take it again. He took it, looked at the display, and then handed it to me. The same blurred face. What the hell is going on?


	2. The Tape Day 4

Day 4.

I opened my eyes. They were watery. I was lying in bed. I looked around. My small lamp on the nightstand dimly lighted the room. I could have sworn I heard something. I looked at my alarm clock. 4:36 a.m. "Damn." I closed my eyes. I had started to fall back asleep. Then I heard it. It sounded like water was dripping somewhere. I opened my eyes again and focused to the dim light. There was a figure in the corner of the room. Facing towards my bed. It looked like it was sitting. It became clearer. It was a girl. She had her long hair covering her face. She sat completely still. I let out a silent gasp that got caught in my throat. I was frozen with terror. I closed my eyes. When I opened them a few seconds later, she was gone. She wasn't sitting in the corner anymore. I turned my head slightly to the right when I seen her. She was standing next to my bed. Long hair over her face. She was dripping. Her stained white gown was wet. I didn't make a move. I was stiff. Then I snapped out of it. As fast as I could I threw the blankets off, and tried to get out of bed. But I wasn't fast enough. As soon as I snapped upright and had thrown the blankets off my body, she had grabbed my right wrist. I saw a white flash. Like lightning. Then I was in this white room. I was in a chair slightly slouching. There were wires connected to my arms. I felt as if I hadn't slept for days. Another flash. There was a table a little ways in front of me. A lit cigarette was on the table. Next to a microphone. Another flash. I couldn't breathe. I shot upright. Gasped for breath. When I got oxygen into my lungs again, I looked around. I was back in my own room. It was 8:50 A.M. I scratched my head. Then rubbed the sleepy in my eyes. I felt it. It felt like my arm was stinging. I raised it and looked at it. My right arm had a burn. In the shape of a hand. Where that girl had grabbed me.

Was that a dream or was it real? I wondered to myself. What would happen to me on the 7th day? Would I really die like Marc said I would? How could I prevent it? Just how?

At that point I had to preoccupy myself with other things. I couldn't let this get to me. Though it would be hard not to think of it, it wasn't impossible. I got out of bed. I was still a bit sleepy since I had almost fallen over on my way to the bathroom. This morning was warm. The last few days had been really warm, even in the mornings. But there I was with cold shivers running up and down my shoulders and back. When I walked into the bathroom, the tiles felt cold against my bare feet. It felt as if the cold tiles were burning into my feet. I got to the sink. I stared at my reflection. I had bags under my eyes and I looked really pale. I then thought of what my grandma had told me. Usually in the mornings and during the day, I looked anemic. I guess I'm not eating as well as I could. I raised a hand to my forehead. I was feeling cold. My hand wasn't so much warmer than my face. I lowered my eyes then raised them. I stared into my reflection. I stood there fore a minute or so. Trying to see if my reflection would move before I did. It didn't. I had a habit of doing that in the mornings. Staring at myself just to see if I could catch my reflection moving. It never did. I lowered my hand and turned on the hot water. I let it steam up, and then I lowered both my hands into the sink. I felt the water rushing against my hands, raised them and splashed some onto my face. It was freezing. I was immediately fully awake. I saw the steam of the hot water. But it was freezing. Cold was water dripping off my face and there was steam on the mirror. I wiped it off. I could see my reflection again. My bottom lip was quivering. My teeth were slightly chattering. I looked behind my reflection. Then I saw her. She was standing with her back up against the wall. Facing me with her hair covering her face. The water on my face seemed to get even colder. My face felt numb. I slowly turned around. When I had completely faced the wall, no one was there. I looked at the spot she was standing. Just hoping that it was me imagining things. Just hoping. There I was with my bottom lip quivering, water dripping off my face, staring at the wall. Just hoping that everything was going to be alright...


	3. Day 6

Day 6... 4:30 P.M.  
I finally told someone. Mike was the person I told about the tape. What I had seen, and everything that's happened to me. Rather than see fear in his face, I had seen delight. He thrives best on the edge from what I've seen. The look on his face. I didn't expect that from him. It was as if he had just won a million dollars. He asked if he could possibly see the tape. I was stunned. I'm sure the look on my face and the way I was staring at him only fed his hunger for the tape. So I told him I would make a copy as soon as I got home. He looked completely satisfied. I got up from where I was sitting on his couch. I walked over to the door. I reached for the knob, opened the door and turned to Mike and said that I would come back the next day. The door closed behind me with a silence. I stood on his porch and stared out at his overgrown lawn. There was a single windmill in the tall grass. It spun lazily in the calm afternoon breeze. I walked down the porch steps and down the walkway towards the sidewalk. The sky was overcast. Just like the past few days. Everything under that sky had a sad glow around it. Maybe it was just me. I myself felt as if someone was following me. I gave the occasional glance back. Nobody. 

The walk home had ended faster than it usually does. Though I only live 2 blocks over, it feels like much more. My house had a gloom blazing from it. I don't know what it was, but I could feel it. It felt like something was in the air. I headed through my front lawn and up the steps. The screen door had some flies on it. I found that somewhat odd. The front door was closed. I remembered leaving it open. I pulled open the screen door and walked in. I immediately felt as if the air conditioner was on. I felt this cold sensation come over me. I couldn't help but shiver. I closed the door behind me. It shut with a scary silence. I walked to the center of the living room. I took a deep breath, and then exhaled. The air felt stale inside my lungs. Then I noticed that the air in the room was a bit stuffy. Something was hanging in the air. The front door had been open, but it was oddly stuffy. I walked into the den to get the spare VCR. I wanted to get copying the tape over with as soon as possible. It was just sitting in the corner of the room next to my old stack of books. I bent down to pick it up. As I was crouching over the VCR I felt as if someone was behind me. The small hairs on my back seemed to stand up and sent a sensation through my back. I got that feeling I usually got when I felt like something was going to jump out from behind me. I froze in the spot I was in. To scared to move. Too scared to turn my head. Whatever it was, I felt like it walked away from me. My knees were getting sore from crouching the way I was. I picked up the VCR then stood up. My knees let out a satisfying crack. Almost afraid to do so, I turned around and slowly walked back into the living room. I half expecting something to come out from it's hiding place. I placed the VCR on top of the one that was hooked up and set into the entertainment center. It took a bit of doing, but I managed to get behind the TV and hook everything up right. I had some dust on my elbows and wrists. I dusted it off then looked around the room. Something was missing... Ah yes the tape and a blank tape. I looked around the living room. I didn't see either beyond the clutter that was everywhere. Perhaps in my bedroom. I walked through my small hallway lined with family pictures and into my bedroom. I looked around, and then seem the tape on my computer desk. I walked over to the desk and picked up the tape. But there still was no blank tape. I rummaged around on the top of my desk. Nothing. I opened the top drawer. Found it! A quiet scratching noise caught my attention. The degree of the scratching was so eerie, I felt as if someone had dropped a bucket of ice into my stomach. I looked around the room with fear. The scratching could still be heard, but from where? Then I seen from where. Above my headboard there were lines. As the scratching went on, the lines got longer. There were 3 lines in a vertical formation. I thought of someone standing on my bead scratching the wall. Then it sank in. Though there was no visible form, something was scratching the wall. I kept staring at those lines. Then they just stopped. No more scratching. Silence. My legs were locked into place. I had to force myself to walk. My teeth were tightly clenched together. I felt as if ants were crawling all over my body. I walked over to the side of the bed and tried to get a close look at the lines on the wall. At the bottom on the centerline, something was protruding from the wall. I reached for it and pulled it from its resting place on the wall and examined it. It was smooth and slightly curved. A little smaller than my index finger. It was yellow and looked like it was rotting. There were a few chips in it. Then something flashed into my head. A finger with a rusty nail impaling it through the nail. I dropped it on the floor. It was someone's fingernail I was holding. I wasn't feeling too good in my stomach. A wave of nausea came over me. I fought it. I hurried out of my bedroom. I walked through the hallway with family pictures hanging on the wall. I felt as if all their eyes were burning holes through me. Here I felt they were alive in their frames. I closed my eyes and walked faster. I got into the living room. I forcefully put the tape into the VCR and hit play. In a hurry I put the blank tape into the other VCR and hit record. I stood there before both VCRs dazed and feeling as if I was going to pass out. I took a few steps back and let myself fall on the couch. Only I was a few steps short of the couch and in the angle I was stepping back, I hit the corner of the coffee table and fell backward. I hit my head on the corner of the couch and passed out. 

When I woke up hours later, it was in a large puddle. The room was pitch black and my head was spinning. I was on my back facing the ceiling. I tried to get up, but my head weighed me down. As my hands hit the floor, the water made a gentle splashing noise. My head hurt so badly. I was going back and forth between consciousness and unconsciousness. I was more worried about my throbbing head than the fact that I was freezing. I took in air in short breaths. The cold was biting at my insides. I was lying down for what seems like hours. I looked over at the VCRs clock. 2:51 a.m. God I was out for hours. I tried to get up again. I managed to sit up this time. I tried to use my hands to help me get up, but I slipped and ended up on my back again. I sat up, and then tried again. I got both feet under me. I slowly stood up. As I was rising, I heard the scratching noise again. It was somewhere in the room. Every hair on my body stood up. I felt as if there was something walking around me. That feeling I got when I felt like someone was behind me was all over my body. I couldn't see anything but the clock on the VRC that was in front of me. For a second it went black, and then it was visible again. As quietly as I could, I walked over to it. Just to the right of the VCR there was a lamp. I felt around in the dark for it. Felt up the slender metal and clicked it on. No one was in the room. I turned around and seen the puddle. And also the cold on my breath. I turned back around and seen that the tape had stopped recording. I ejected it and examined the copy. Without another word I hurried to my bedroom. I locked the door behind me and made sure there was enough light. I walked over to my desk and found a label, placed it on the tape and marked it as "copy" with a black sharpie. I was feeling something on the back of my head. When I reached and touched it, I felt something warm and wet. I brought my hand to my face and seen that I was bleeding. Too scared to go into the hallway bathroom, I grabbed a towel hanging from the back of my door and tightly wrapped it around my head.

Later on in the afternoon, I would be giving Mike the tape... 

Day 7...3:10 A.M.  
I can't sleep. The previous day is what I'm still running through my head as well as the big bump on my head. I finally got the bleeding to stop.


	4. Day 7

Day7..

I woke up in the late afternoon. My head to my surprise was numb. My whole body was sore. My clothes were damp and had the smell of mildew. I was cold. I had no blankets on me. No wonder. I sat up, placed my feet on the floor and bent my head down. There was something wrong with me. I felt nauseated, my eyes were burning, and my mouth was dry. I removed my shirt. The coolness of the room hit my bare skin making me shiver. I looked down at my feet. I was still wearing my converse. I untied the laces and lazily removed them. My socks as well. My pants were damp. I stood up with my head bent and undid my button and zipper. I pulled my pants down from my waist and pushed them down to my feet. I removed both feet from the insides of my pants. Just in my boxer briefs I walked out through my bedroom door. In the hallway the pictures didn't seem to be staring at me. They contained the happy memories from when they were taken. I walked into the bathroom. The floor had that same coldness to it. I felt like the cold was burning into my feet. I didn't bother walking up to the sink. Instead I headed for the tub.

I turned on the hot water faucet, and then tested the water temperature. The water felt good rushing against my hand. I plugged the drain with the rubber plug. I sat on the rim of the tub with my head turned to the inside of the tub. I watched the water gradually begin to fill. The sound of the rushing water relaxed me from the inside out. The sound of the water splashing seemed to come from all around me. The room filled with the sound of falling water. I ignored it. I kept my gaze fixed on the swirling water. It had a refreshing look to it. I felt as soon as my body hit the water, I would immediately be purified from all my soreness and worries. The water now was more than halfway full. I stood up, removed my boxer briefs and stepped into the water. Immediately a warm sensation filled my legs starting from my feet and worked its way up. I felt my whole body begin to find relief as warmth filled my cold sore body. I sat down. The sensation amplified. I felt that if I stayed here, nothing else would matter. I slowly began to lay back. My neck hit the rim of the tub. It was not warm and from the point where my neck hit the rim, I felt a cold trickle into my spine. Though my body was warm, I felt that cold travel down my spine. It felt like someone was running an ice cube down my back. Eventually that odd sensation on my spine subsided. I just let myself get taken away by the gentle warmth. I found myself getting heavy eyed. I was so relaxed that I just wanted to let myself float away with the sound of the water. I fell asleep. I must have been asleep for no more than 5 minutes when the sound of the splashing water seemed to change. My whole face felt so warm. I felt like I was underneath a warm sun. I felt myself smile. Then that familiar feeling came. I felt like someone was looking at me. I slowly opened my eyes. I was staring up at a wavy looking figure. It looked like a white gown with something black coming down the face. I felt like I was staring at it through water. Then I realized what was going on. I was underneath the water. I tried to sit up, but I felt as if I was being held down. I couldn't move. I kicked and tried to move my head. Nothing. I closed my eyes, and then opened them. The figure was gone. That strong hold that was over me seemed to lift. I bolted upright sending a wave over the edge of the tub. I was struggling for air. Something rose from the pit of my stomach. I felt the nausea come up. I turned to the edge of the tub and let it flow out of me. The vomit floated and thinned out as more and more water poured out of the tub. I had left the water running and it was pouring out of the tub. The something strange happened. The water that lined the bathroom walls seemed to travel up the wall. It moved up the walls all around me. It reached the roof and closed out every inch of the visible ceiling. The same went for the walls. I was staring at nothing but moving water. I felt as if I was dreaming. I was in a room with walls made of mesmerizing liquid. In a fit of panic got up and out of the tub. I stood in a box of liquid. Nowhere to go. The walls were still visible, but looked wavy and slightly blue. Careful not to slip, I walked to where the door would be. There it was. The knob wasn't underneath the flowing water. I reached out for it. I stopped mid way. The knob was turning on it's own. The door suddenly slammed open. The water that lined it's back was projected towards me. It hit me making me slip. I landed with a splash on the floor. I fought to get myself upright. I sat up and looked into the doorway. The open space where the doorway was had no flowing water going over it. An open way through the water filled room. In it's frame she stood there facing me. I stared at her in horror. Her hair was drenched and hiding her face fully. Her white gown was dripping. Then the smell of mildew wafted around me. I climbed to my feet. She didn't move from her place in the doorway. I stood there in front of her naked. Suddenly there was a flash she disappeared. The room got quiet. The water seemed to freeze into place. No ripples, no splashing. Then I heard the doorbell. I didn't make a move for the open door in fear that all the water would fall. The doorbell rang again. The sound of the ringing filled the room reverberating off the water-lined walls. It had a hollow sound to it. Then as if something had triggered, the water began to swirl around me. It picked up speed and I felt as if I was in hurricane. The water swirled around me silently. It was twirling toward the bathtub. Then I began to feel as if I was getting bigger. The water was closing in. Before I knew it, the water was splashing against me as it lost mass. The water was disappearing down the drain of the bathtub. Then it was all gone. I stood shivering and dripping from head to toe. There wasn't a drop of water left on the walls or ceiling. Everything was dry. I ran out of the bathroom and into the hallway.

I opened the cabinet and wrapped a towel around me. Just as my body was hidden from exposure, Mike appeared at the end of the hallway. "Hey no one answered, so I thought something was wrong." I stood there looking at him speechless. I was trying to find something to say but failed. Then spoke again. "Did you make the copy? Hey why are you in a towel just staring at me?" He walked out of the hallway and toward the kitchen. "Hey got anything good to eat? I'm starving!" I snapped out of my trance and remembered where I was. I shook my head and went into my bedroom. I threw on a pair of Boot cut Jeans and a polo. I fought to get the socks on my damp feet. I got my converse on, and was out of that odd feeling. I didn't worry about my hair, so I picked up the copy of the tape on my desk and walked straight into the living room. Mike was munching away on a bowl of applejacks. I held that copy in my right hand. I felt wrong for what I was about to do. But before I could react, he walked over with the cereal bowl in hand and took it from my grasp. "Is this it?" I just looked at him. "Whoa what's wrong man?" "N n nothing!" I said in a slightly panicked voice forcing a smile on my face. "I.. I just woke up feeling weird!" "Oh.." he said blankly. A puzzled look on his face. I walked past him and into the kitchen. Though I was hungry, I was to eat anyway. I didn't want to give the impression that something was wrong. I heard the TV turn on and heard the tape being put into the VCR. In the kitchen I was completely denied access to seeing the TV. I felt relieved that I couldn't see the tape from here. I heard only faint static sounds. I gave a relieved sigh as the brick in my stomach went away. I fixed myself some frosted mini wheat's. I opened the refrigerator and got out the milk. I walked over to my table next to the window. Poured the milk and placed it down. Today was not overcast like the last few have been. The day felt lively. I sat down. I picked up the spoon in my bowl and took a bite. MMM I let the flavor swirl around my mouth. Not too long after, Mike came into the kitchen with me. He had a strange look on his face. Partially puzzled and as if someone pinched him. "That was some weird tape. It wasn't worth watching at all.." Then the phone rang. I stayed put on my chair as if it wasn't ringing. He looked down at me and asked: "you gonna get that?" I didn't answer and just continued munching. "I'll get it!" He said as he walked to the phone. "Hello?" He said calmly. He was facing me. A strange frown formed on his forehead as he lowered the phone back to its base. I paid no attention to it and just ate and ate. "It's not my problem anymore!" I thought to myself. I couldn't help but smile.

I'm relieved.


End file.
